ul had
never risen from his little bed,' I just lose myself listening to her."

On the whole, there were also compensations for me in these mothers, and
I thought it as well to secure them in advance.

When the train arrived from El Paso, and I saw our strawberries and our
ice-cream taken out, I felt the hour to be at hand, and that whatever
our decision, no bias could be laid to me. According to his prudent
habit, Eastman had the speakers follow each other alphabetically. This
happened to place Leola after Guy, and perhaps might give her the last
word, as it were, with the people; but our committee was there, and
superior to such accidents. The flags and the bunting hung gay around
the draped stage. While the audience rustled or resoundingly trod to
its chairs, and seated neighbors conferred solemnly together over the
programme, Stuart, behind the bunting, played "Silver Threads among the
Gold" upon a melodeon.

"Pretty good this," he said to me, pumping his feet.

"What?" I said.

"Tune. Sharon is for free silver."

"Do you think they will catch your allusion?" I asked him.

"No. But I have a way of enjoying a thing by myself." And he pumped
away, playing with tasteful variations until the hall was full and the
singing-class assembled in gloves and ribbons.

They opened the ceremonies for us by rendering "Sweet and Low" very
happily; and I trusted it was an omen.

Sharon was hearty, and we had "Sweet and Low" twice. Then the speaking
began, and the speakers were welcomed, coming and going, with mild and
friendly demonstrations. Nothing that one would especially mark went
wrong until Reuben Gadsden. He strode to the middle of the boards, and
they creaked beneath his tread. He stood a moment in large glittering
boots and with hair flat and prominently watered. As he straightened
from his bow his suspender-buttons came into view, and remained so for
some singular internal reason, while he sent his right hand down into
the nearest pocket and began his oratory.

"It is sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the Queen of France," he
said, impressively, and stopped.

We waited, and presently he resumed:

"It is sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the Queen of France." He
took the right hand out and put the left hand in.

"It is sixteen or seventeen years," said he, and stared frowning at his
boots.

I found the silence was getting on my nerves. I felt as if it were
myself who was drifting to idiocy, and